Tutorials

How to design a three-card flipbook that teaches timing and character motion to beginners

I love simple tools that reveal surprising motion, and a three-card flipbook is one of my favourite pocket-sized experiments. It’s small, fast to make, and brilliantly instructive for beginners learning about timing, keyframes and how slight changes convey weight and personality. In this tutorial...

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How to design a three-card flipbook that teaches timing and character motion to beginners

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How to photograph miniature reflective water with a smartphone and two inexpensive diffusers Tutorials

How to photograph miniature reflective water with a smartphone and two inexpensive diffusers

I’m obsessed with tiny, believable worlds — and one small trick I return to...

Jun 10 Read more...
Teach a 30-minute paper automaton workshop for kids 8–12 using three reusable templates Tutorials

Teach a 30-minute paper automaton workshop for kids 8–12 using three reusable templates

Running a quick, joyful paper automaton workshop for kids aged 8–12 is one of...

May 29 Read more...
How to design an instant pop-up postcard that conceals a surprise illustration and fits a standard uk stamp DIY Projects

How to design an instant pop-up postcard that conceals a surprise illustration and fits a standard uk stamp

I love a small, secret moment in the mail — something that looks ordinary...

May 22 Read more...
Create a convincing miniature fog effect for tabletop scenes using glycerin, cotton and a cheap aquarium pump DIY Projects

Create a convincing miniature fog effect for tabletop scenes using glycerin, cotton and a cheap aquarium pump

I love adding little moments of surprise to my tabletop scenes, and one of my...

May 17 Read more...

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DIY Projects May 22, 2026

How to design an instant pop-up postcard that conceals a surprise illustration and fits a standard uk stamp

I love a small, secret moment in the mail — something that looks ordinary from the outside but opens to reveal a little bit of mischief. In this piece I’ll walk you through how I design an instant pop-up postcard that conceals a surprise...

DIY Projects May 17, 2026

Create a convincing miniature fog effect for tabletop scenes using glycerin, cotton and a cheap aquarium pump

I love adding little moments of surprise to my tabletop scenes, and one of my favourite tricks is a convincing miniature fog that hugs buildings, creeps through alleyways or pools in low spots. After a lot of tinkering I've settled on a simple,...

Tutorials May 05, 2026

Photo recipe: capture silky reflections on resin water without a light tent using household diffusers

I love the little surprises that happen when a flat surface suddenly looks like liquid—when paint, paper or a tiny vignette becomes a glossy pool of reflected light. Lately I’ve been photographing small “resin water” scenes for...

Tutorials Apr 13, 2026

How to rig a pocket automaton with invisible thread so a character performs a clean loop without tangle

I love the quiet little shock of a tiny figure suddenly flipping through the air as if pushed by some secret breeze. Getting that flip to read as a single clean loop — with the thread invisible, the movement smooth and the mechanics entirely...

DIY Projects Apr 07, 2026

How to design a fold‑flat pop‑up theater that mails in an envelope and unfolds into a staged scene

I love tiny theatrical moments — the quiet drama of a stage, the surprise of a scene that appears when you open a card. Designing a fold-flat pop-up theater that fits in an envelope and blossoms into a staged scene is one of my favourite...

Tutorials Apr 04, 2026

How to photograph a tabletop diorama with a smartphone to capture cinematic depth and creamy bokeh

I love photographing small worlds. A tabletop diorama is a stage where light, scale and story meet, and with a smartphone you can make images that feel cinematic and tactile — rich depth, soft creamy bokeh and a sense of place that pulls the...

DIY Projects Apr 03, 2026

How to fake sun‑bleached cyanotype textures on paper props using tea, sunlamps and subtle salt washes

I love the soft, dreamy look of sun‑bleached cyanotypes — those faded indigo prints that feel like memories captured on paper. But sometimes you want that same weathered, botanical, salty texture on a prop or in a collage without dealing with...

Tutorials Mar 16, 2026

How to design a 10-minute cardboard automaton lesson for mixed-age groups using three fail-safe steps

I teach a lot of short, pop-up workshops where people of wildly different ages and abilities come together around one tiny, brilliant problem: how to make a little cardboard automaton that moves. Ten minutes sounds impossibly brief, but with a...

DIY Projects Mar 15, 2026

How to make convincing miniature water with poured epoxy and a rippling varnish finish

I love making miniature water because it’s one of those deceptively simple effects that can transform a small scene into something believable and alive. Over the years I’ve settled on a workflow that pairs clear poured epoxy for depth and...

DIY Projects Mar 15, 2026

How to build a whispering box that hides a sound mechanism using cheap piezo buzzers and recycled tins

I love making small, peculiar objects that ask you to lean in. This whispering box is one of those pieces: a humble recycled tin that, when opened, seems to breathe a secret sound — a soft click, a distant bell, or a barely-there voice. The trick...